Sen. Troy Singleton

Maddy summaryThis bill requires New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) to create a single online platform that integrates the state's health insurance marketplace (State-based exchange) with the NJ FamilyCare program (which includes Medicaid and CHIP). It directly affects residents applying for health coverage through these programs by allowing them to determine eligibility for individual, small business, and Medicaid/CHIP benefits in one system. The key mechanism is requiring DOBI to coordinate with the Department of Human Services to merge eligibility processes, eliminating separate applications. This changes the administrative process but does not alter coverage rules or requirements for health plans.

Maddy summaryThis bill excludes certain military compensation from New Jersey's gross income tax for state residents who serve outside New Jersey for at least six months during a taxable year. It directly affects New Jersey residents serving in the U.S. Armed Forces while stationed or deployed outside the state. The key provision amends the tax code to exclude military pay received for out-of-state service, separate from standard military benefits like housing allowances. The exclusion applies immediately to taxable years beginning after enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a dedicated fund called the Public Hospital Capital Fund to collect assessments from health service corporations reorganizing into mutual holding companies (e.g., Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey). The fund will finance capital improvement projects at public hospitals across New Jersey, with no more than 25% of the initial assessment spent in any single fiscal year. Unspent funds will carry over to future years, and the Legislature will determine how the money is allocated for hospital projects. The bill ensures these funds are exclusively used for hospital infrastructure upgrades, not other purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) of the Office of Administrative Law within the Department of State to enroll in the Workers Compensation Judges Part of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) instead of the current Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP). It mandates that ALJs currently enrolled in the DCRP be transferred to the Workers Compensation and Administrative Law Judges Part of PERS within 90 days of the bill's effective date, while those already in PERS will be moved into this specific part of the system. The bill also specifies that the unfunded liability for benefits provided by this transfer will be paid by appropriations from the State General Fund. This change makes PERS enrollment a condition of employment for ALJs, aligning their retirement system with that of Workers' Compensation Judges.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the New Jersey Veterans' Organization Building Grant Program, providing financial assistance to nonprofit veterans' organizations for acquiring, constructing, or improving facilities. Administered by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), the program offers grants covering costs like building construction, repairs, equipment, and site development. It directly affects qualified veterans' organizations seeking to establish or upgrade physical spaces for their operations. The program is funded through state appropriations, with eligibility determined by the NJEDA based on defined criteria in the bill.

Maddy summaryThis New Jersey bill (S 3927) prohibits real estate appraisers from considering protected characteristics like race, religion, gender identity, or national origin when valuing properties. It establishes penalties for discriminatory appraisals, including restitution for affected parties, mandatory anti-bias training, and escalating fines up to $50,000 for repeat violations. The bill requires real estate professionals to provide free information about reporting discriminatory appraisals to the Division on Civil Rights within three days of key interactions, such as mortgage applications or property sales. Additionally, it mandates that the Division on Civil Rights collect and report demographic data from complainants to the Governor and Legislature by July 2026. The bill directly affects licensed appraisers, real estate brokers, and mortgage professionals in New Jersey.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific bridge over Crosswicks Creek on Interstate Highway Route 295 North (between Bordentown and Hamilton townships) as the "Benjamin Moore and the 693rd Sapper Company Memorial Highway." It honors Army Specialist Benjamin Moore, who died in Afghanistan in 2011, and his unit, the 693rd Sapper Company, recognizing Moore's military service and community emergency response work in New Jersey. The bill explicitly prohibits using state or public funds for the memorial signs, requiring private donations or grants to cover all associated costs for producing, installing, and maintaining the signage.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey's affordable housing voucher program to cover homeownership costs, allowing low-income households to use state vouchers for down payments or monthly mortgage assistance instead of just rent. It specifically reserves funds for seniors aged 62+, veterans who completed the "Veterans Haven" program, and families participating in a self-sufficiency initiative. The program also creates a Home Repair Emergency Assistance Fund to cover necessary home repairs for participants. This change, now law as P.L.2024, c.98, directly affects eligible residents seeking homeownership support through the state's rental assistance framework.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands New Jersey optometrists' scope of practice to include prescribing pharmaceutical agents (including controlled substances for eye conditions), administering immunizations for coronavirus, flu, and shingles (for patients 18+), and performing minor procedures like removing superficial foreign bodies, treating chalazions, and simple ophthalmologic treatments (e.g., trabeculoplasty) using topical anesthesia. It explicitly prohibits invasive eye surgery, orbital procedures, or general anesthesia. The law requires optometrists to report administered immunizations to the state's immunization registry and mandates they follow CDC guidelines for vaccine administration. This directly affects optometrists by broadening their clinical capabilities and patients by increasing access to certain eye care services within defined limits.

Maddy summaryNew Jersey's S 286 allows counties and municipalities to create reduced water, sewer, and stormwater fees for low-income households. It permits local sewerage authorities and municipal water systems to lower charges for residents whose household income is at or below a threshold based on federal poverty guidelines, provided they meet specific eligibility criteria like residing in the dwelling unit and not receiving similar assistance elsewhere. Authorities must establish clear application processes requiring income documentation and advertise the program to residents. The bill requires that local governments have sufficient budget flexibility to cover revenue losses from these reductions without raising rates for other customers.